Objective:

To explore the value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS)

shear wave

elastography (SWE) in differential diagnosis of minute-medullary thyroid carcinoma (MMTC) and papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC).

Methods:

Data of 22 patients with MMTC and 151 patients with PTMC in West China Hospital of Sichuan University from July 2016 to July 2021 were collected. All patients underwent thyroid CEUS and SWE examinations. Age and SWE parameters were compared by t test or Mann-Whitney U test

gender and CEUS characteristics were compared by

2

test or Fishers exact test.

Results:

MMTC patients were older than PTMC patients

the difference was statistically significant (

Z

=3.932

P

＜0.001)

but there was no significant difference in gender (

2

=0.654

P

=0.419). The proportion of low enhancement in MMTC was higher than that in PTMC

and the difference was statistically significant (

2

=15.960

P

＜0.001)

but there was no significant difference in enhancement mode between MMTC and PTMC (

P

＞0.05). MMTC

E

min

and

E

mean

were lower than PTMC

and the difference was statistically significant (

Z

=4.238

P

＜0.010;

Z

=3.069

P

=0.002); There were no significant differences in

E

max

and

E

ratio

between the two groups (

P

＞0.05).

Conclusion:

CEUS and SWE can provide more reference for the differential diagnosis of MMTC and PTMC

and can be used as additional diagnostic methods of conventional ultrasound.